2018 Porsche Panamera Shooting Brake

In 2014 Wolfgang Hatz, Porsche’s current head of design confirmed that the automaker was planning to produce a ‘shooting brake’ variant of the Panamera sedan. Our spy photographers recently caught up with the model undergoing testing in Nürburgring with barely any camouflage.

However, they could not get close enough to take shots of its interior. From the shots, it is clear that the model has adopted the 2012 Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo Concept which was unveiled at the Paris Auto Show in 2012. From the looks, it seems that the Panamera shooting brake mimics a roofline similar to that of the Mercedes-Benz CLS shooting brake. This is good news to buyers with families because it will offer a bigger cargo space compared to the Panamera sedan.
However, the ‘shooting’ brake will have to fight it hard in a US market that has never really warmed up to wagons. The model is positioned to perform better in Europe where wagons are a still a hit. However, the future looks bleak since buyers in Europe are also shifting to SUVs as recent data on purchasing trends showed. Read along for more information:

New Porsche Panamera Shooting brake 2018 Spy photo

2018 Porsche Panamera Shooting Brake Exterior

Actually, the Shooting Brake was not the only vehicle undergoing testing, the vehicle was in the company of the standard Panamera sedan. The two vehicles made quite a sight together on the streets.

On the exterior, except for the wagon’s fastback, the two models are almost identical. In fact, they are the same from the nose up to the rear doors. At the front, they both feature twin-halo headlights units. The two models also share the same hood. The Shooting Brake however omits rectangular air vents featured on the sedan. Their air dams are also different.

On the sides, they are almost identical but the vehicles had stickers on the key places so there is nothing much I can tell between the two models. On the Shooting Brake doors, there are body lines that move to the rear. Its fender vents were also concealed. At the rear, the vehicles also seem to share similar taillights but we could not tell their actual design since they were concealed. The rear hatchback sports a dominant overhang. The exhaust tips and the rear diffuser of the two vehicles also appear to be similar. The Shooting Brake appears similar to the sport Turismo concept but a toned-down for production purposes.

Since it shares most of the exterior features with the sedan, we will be able to tell more on its design once the sedan makes a debut in September.

2018 Porsche Panamera Shooting Brake Interior

Our spy photographers only managed to capture exterior shots of the Panamera Shooting Brake. As such, we barely know anything about the model’s interior styling. However, expect a state-of-the-art infotainment system on a large touch-screen. The infotainment system will certainly support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It will also integrate various connectivity features such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and USB ports. Due to its design, the vehicle will have a larger cargo space than the sedan.

For convenience, the vehicle will most likely feature a 2-zone climate control system, comfortable seats upholstered in quality leather. Expect all the seats to be heated and ventilated while front seats could be powered. The shifter and steering wheel will be wrapped in leather.

An array of driving aids will also be offered to improve the vehicle’s safety offerings.

Engine

The 2018 Porsche Panamera Shooting Brake will be offered in a number of drive-trains just like its sedan sister. Actually, the wagon may adopt all the drive-trains of the sedan and still add some of its own. As of this writing, we have had no information from the automaker. Porsche is keeping details of the two models close to its chest so it is difficult to make conclusions at the moment. However, since the vehicle is underpinned by an updated MSB platform, it will be able to support the automaker’s new V-6 and V-8 engines.

Therefore, expect a number of petrol and diesel engines with turbochargers. There will also be a plug-in hybrid power-train. We will update you with more information it is availed by the automaker. The upcoming Panamera sedan is set to debut in September in Europe before heading across the ocean to the US later on before the end of the year.

Price and release date

It is difficult to estimate the price of the 2018 Porsche Panamera Shooting Brake considering the price of the upcoming Panamera sedan is also not known. Currently, the outgoing Panamera sedan has a starting price of $ 78,100 with the Panamera Exclusive Series attracting over $ 260,000.

Normally, wagons tend to be expensive than their sedan counterparts. As such, I expect the Shooting Brake to cost more than the sedan. With this in mind, I think a starting price of $ 90,000 or more is likely.

Competition

There are not that many luxury wagons out there since many luxury automakers prefer building the more lucrative crossovers and SUVs. That being said, the Panamera Shooting Brake will meet a luxury wagon market dominated by the Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake and BMW 5 Series Touring.